Note: this work is copyright 1997, 2000 by Asako Hisamatsu. Credit is to be given in any linking, reproduction, or other usage. All personalities, maneuvers, events, etc. are, where applicable, copyright of Capcom or SNK.

As for the music, the theme is actually "Devil's Tower" from Psikyo's Strikers 1945 II. I don't know who wrote it in the first place, unfortunately. The MIDI was sequenced by J.B. {sugawara@dges.tohoku.ac.jp}. There are various other shmup themes at his site {http://www.dges.tohoku.ac.jp/~sugawara}.

SORROW'S FORGE

December 3, 1995, 8:15 p.m.

"Well?"

Geese Howard watched on with impatience as the technicians operated on the prostrate machine on the floor. Actually, more than impatience. He was also annoyed at what the device's purpose would be, a purpose he should have taken himself. "Are you quite through yet?"

One technician, a brown-haired Japanese man in his late twenties or early thirties, looked up with equal annoyance. "Geese, unless you know something about androids--which I really doubt--I suggest you keep your mouth closed, before I freeze it shut."

The Southtown crime lord snickered. "Oh? That would prevent kiai on my part, but do you honestly think my strength would be any less from such an insult? You'd still be undergoing intensive care at the end of any battle we underwent...if I were willing to pay the price." Geese gave a sideways glance at the old man behind him.

The old man, in amazing condition for being seventy-six years old, smiled gently. "It's nice to see you actually have a little humility." His voice had nearly no reediness, instead containing a surprising strength. "I have more hope for the upcoming conference. I might even offer you a position in my organization, instead of a simple alliance."

A derisive snort. "No thanks."

The old man shrugged. "I suppose that's in return for purposefully scheduling our conference at the time you would be battling Terry?" He received a fierce look in return. "I thought so. Geese, as much as I dislike you, I cannot risk your destruction--some of my plans would collapse without your assistance. Besides," he spoke as he gestured at the android, "the Shadow Drone has been reprogrammed, with a little...Isawa-endemic help, to fight exactly like you. In a way, the defeat of Bogard will, or rather, would be to your credit."

"So what would the ultimate purpose be for the replacement? What difference does it make that it fights, and not me?"

Geese glowered at his peer, who sighed in response. "Geese...Andy will be assisting Terry in the battle. I don't care how powerful you think you are, until you reach your true zenith of power, you'll be hard-pressed to fight them both and win. I really intend the Shadow Drone to just be a distraction!"

Howard was about to shout back a response to the man, but stopped himself. Deep down, he knew his peer from Japan was right--he did not have a dependable chance to win against both Bogards at once...yet. He let out an angry sigh, at about the same time Sukune sprang up from his kneeling position, the tassels of his long, bifurcate beard swishing a little. "The Drone's ready, Isawa-sama. Oh, Geese, I'm going to set up some surveillance cameras so we can keep an eye on Shadow's progress. Maybe you'd like your own copies? Given your mood, you might need some entertainment after the conference."

Geese grinned. "Go right ahead, Sukune. If Shadow wins, well...and if Shadow is beaten, I want to see the Bogards' disappointment. It might even be the first sitcom I actually like."

"Um, one thing, Geese, while I still have a chance to tell you," the old man said. "When you do get up to going Bogard-hunting, Terry's all yours, but not Andy...if he's still alive by then. He is mine more than yours."

Geese raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"It's a little personal. I'll tell you after I eliminate him, or earlier if necessary. Terry's still yours for the taking."

Geese sighed. "Is that a promise? Are you absolutely sure I'll get to eliminate Terry?"

"It's a promise.

"Isawa Yasuhiro is a Yakuza oyabun of his word."

December 4, 1995, 7:13 a.m.

The Hayes Avenue district was not known for being popular in Southtown; the streets were bereft of even panhandlers and gangs. For days at a time, the abandoned industrial area would be deserted, the old brick warehouses like tombs in a graveyard on a still day. The only people who ever came here now were those who wanted to be alone with the cliffside vistas so few in Southtown appreciated.

At this time, Andy Bogard was such a person.

Wrapped up in dark grey sweat pants and a lighter grey sweatshirt, the young man watched the now-risen sun, and, much closer to shore, the scoters hunting their breakfast. Andy smiled as one scoter resurfaced too close to another that was just diving, upsetting the poor bird's balance. He could not help but admire the second bird's constraint as it simply reruffled its feathers and dove in again. Right now, he was needing all of his constraint to avoid screaming out against the world's injustice. Last night, by a special agreement taken at the Real Bout Invitational's beginning, both Bogard brothers had confronted Geese Howard, the crime lord responsible for their father's death, and attempted to defeat him, perhaps prepare him for the FBI and/or Interpol--especially with Hon-Fu in attendance.

They never had the chance. The battle had shown Terry and Andy just how greatly Geese had improved his skills since they first fought him four years ago. He could now command lightning to strike from both sky and ground. He was especially proud of his Razing Storm, a cone of force pillars that surrounded him and struck with the combined force of a hurricane and a tengu-kaze anything--and, particularly, anyone--that dared approach. Andy had been stunned during the battle, yet he still saw his brother eliminate Geese's victory. Geese had been trying to electrocute Terry with something called Thunder Break--apparently, an electrical version of Razing Storm. Before he could go through, Terry had struck him with three Power Geysers in a row. The attack had succeeded in blasting Geese through the railing of his balcony. The instant Geese had hit the railing, Terry had dashed forward and grabbed the falling man's hand. To Terry's disbelief, the grinning, laughing Geese batted away his rescuer's hand, and fell to his destruction.

Four seconds later, the explosion came. Rushing to his brother's side, Andy saw the unbelievable. Instead of blood, bone, and sinew, the ground at the tower's base was covered with plastic plating, ceramic shards, and machinery.

"Geese" had not been the genuine article at all, but an android mimic.

The brothers could not believe it at all. Geese had, once more, managed to deprive them of any real victory. First, he had cheated death those four years ago, now he had cheated them. The Bogards had had to come back down to their friends and explain that Geese was still on the loose. The oath the warriors had made--"Geese must go!"--had been rendered unfulfillable.

Nonetheless, one of Geese's own objectives--eliminating his greatest threats by destroying the Invitational's participants--had also been left unachieved, and all involved felt that this, at least, indicated a type of victory. Also, according to Shiranui Mai, Andy's childhood friend and pesky suitor, the Secret Scrolls of Qin, three dreadful artifacts of evil, had been destroyed by Geese himself...at least, if the distraught look on Jin Chon-Shu's face had been any indication.

Several of the warriors--Terry, Joe, Mary, and Franco--had accepted Bob Wilson and Duck-King's invitation for a night/morning of partying at the Pao-Pao CafÈ #2. The number of decliners matched--partying was not Andy's favorite activity, nor of Hon- Fu or Kaphwan. Mai would likely have accepted...had Andy done so as well.

A brief smile lit Andy's face as Mai flitted through his mind. He agreed with his Irish peer in Clan Shiranui, Siobhan Conaghan, that Mai's idea of fashion was a bit much (Siobhan, actually, said Mai didn't have any fashion sense), but he still enjoyed her boundless optimism and cheerfulness. Except, of course, when they were focused on getting him into her arms...and just maybe she had a little too much optimism to begin with. How did she even maintain it with all the masters of evil they had faced? Geese, Wolfgang, Mars, Rugal, Chon-Shu...and each of these was nothing compared to the one man he ever had any nightmares about. Probably the only one Mai ever has nightmares about, too. Another image immediately followed in Andy's mind, one that caused his face to pale in horror. The idea of Mai falling to his feared enemy...

"Wait a minute...I know I got these from a reputable source..."

Andy jumped about four inches on hearing the voice. He swiftly turned to his right, to see Mai right next to him, holding a partially unwrapped candy cane in each hand. "Oh...sorry, Mai. It's not your treats, it's just...just...something in my mind."

Mai smirked, crossing her arms. "Let me guess. You're afraid Geese might try to shoot you in your sleep?"

"No, not that. It's..." Andy struggled to speak, and finally succeeded. "I was thinking about...the clan's enemy, in comparison to Geese and the rest...and what he might try to do to US." Andy couldn't bring himself to name his foe, as though the name might summon him like a demon.

Mai's smile fell away. "Join the club. I want to see him about as much as you do." Mai tugged on the collar of her red jacket, and brought her grey-clad legs closer together, as though to drive out a new chill. "The man is a death sentence for any Shiranui he fights. And I don't want to be next on the docket."

Andy smiled grimly. "In which case you should call somebody else up--say, one of the Bushin--and pay them just to tell you where not to be. Of course, if what you were doing was ever discovered...scratch one Bushin."

Mai shuddered. "But...that was what Kiriko had in mind. And remember, somebody found out that she was looking for just such a spy. Then, four days later..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Kiriko was dead." She relaxed a little when she felt Andy's arm clasp her shoulder, but her fear did not dissipate any.

"I'm sorry, Mai. I'd forgotten about her plight. I was just thinking of what Yokatsu said Anase and Nenosuke should have done to survive."

"Do you suppose there was any chance of survival?"

Andy looked out to the sea, towards Japan, where he was sure his foe was plotting the latest plans for taking it over and eradicating Clan Shiranui. "How I wish I knew..."

He did not notice that Mai, calming down, had regained the strength to smile a little. She extended the hand that held the candy cane she had originally been offering towards him. "Maybe this will get you back to reality? I can see from here that you're going to go nuts wondering where Death-to-Shiranui-kisama is this moment."

Andy, now also smiling, accepted the candy cane. "Thanks." He seated himself on the ground, with Mai following suit. "By the way, where's Siobhan? I'd think you'd have convinced her to see me."

Mai shook her head. "No, Siobhan had to oversee something at Pao Pao. Besides," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "she said she thought that we should have some time alone together."

Bogard groaned quietly. I can't even trust my own clan to give me mercy?

**********

"Tell me again...why are we here?"

Yasuhiro scowled at his escort, a red hooded/veiled man in what looked for all the world like pale blue sorcerous robes. "I told you, Kazuo, I just want to experience some sea breeze. And no, it's never quite the same in Japan and in the States."

The accusatory tone did not leave Kazuo's voice, nor were his eyes--the only part of his face visible--turning any warmer. "I know full well that you never do ANYTHING without some ulterior motive."

Yasuhiro shrugged. "Does anyone?"

"You know what I mean, Isawa-kisama!"

Yasuhiro narrowed his eyes and smiled. Combined with his looking sidelong at the following Kazuo, his balding forehead, his white Fu-Manchu mustache and remaining hair, and his dark beige suit, he looked like a kind of human demon. "Enjoy denigrating me while you can, Kazuo. The, ah, pact, remember, keeps you from doing anything even insulting to me in battle. And I'm only letting you refer to me as kisama for my amusement."

Kazuo stopped speaking, instead fuming within over how, twelve years ago, he had allowed himself to be defeated by Yasuhiro's student, and become their slave. His self-pitying reverie was interrupted by Yasuhiro. "Kazuo! Keep yourself hidden as much as you can. Look what we've got for disposal." Kazuo followed the grinning Yakuza's gaze to the two figures near the cliff.

Kazuo choked. "You wouldn't...can't you leave--"

"You have your orders, Kazuo. Do you think I'd pass up this kind of opportunity?"

The guard had no choice but to obey.

**********

Mai took her gaze from the scoters to Andy. "I see why Siobhan likes them so much."

Andy smiled. "I know. If birds ever need an advocate, they'll do no better than her." As it turned out, today his fears about Mai trying to take his heart had been unfounded--sharing the sea breeze and watching the ducks with him was enough for her. Enough for me, too The faint smile disappeared from Andy's face as he tried to figure out where that wayward thought had come from.

"Something wrong, Andy-kun?" Mai leaned towards him, her smile widening a little. "Am I finally starting to get through your defenses? You look a little confused."

Why does that sound like it has some truth? Andy was somehow experiencing feelings for Mai at a stronger level than he had expected. I hope that's just because I don't have Terry, Joe, or Siobhan here for assistance. "Mai, are you sure you're not jumping to concl--" Andy stopped short as his eyes locked onto something in the distance. It seemed familiar...

"Andy...what's wrong?" The merriment and mischief had left Mai's voice again, as she tried to find the source of Andy's concern. She too sighted the figure, then determined its details. She felt an old, horrible fear pulse through her...No. No! Of all people, NOT HIM!!!

"How utterly nice to see you!" The figure quickened its pace, its mustache trailing a little.

Andy immediately positioned himself so any danger to Mai would be minimized. "Yasuhiro...what in hell do you want?"

"What do I want? Just to enjoy a seacoast morning. Are you telling me that I don't have that right, my gaijin shinobi friend?"

Mai scowled. "Right. Come on, Yasuhiro, you actually think we're going to take you seriously? Since when do you do anything for a purpose other than your own power?"

A virtual echo of Kazuo from a few minutes ago. I'm not all that surprised. Yasuhiro merely said aloud, "What is this, just because I defeat a few of your clan members fairly, I'm branded for life?" He was affecting false indignation. "How can you think there's nothing you could possibly identify with within me?"

Andy was doing his best to control his temper. "Yasuhiro, I do not care how you defeated Gosaburou, Hisaichi, and the rest. You have hounded our clan for the past two decades, and you make an attempt on a clan member's life about every month. You have been nothing but a curse to Japan in general, and us particularly. Since you have all but sworn to destroy Clan Shiranui, is there any reason to forgive you for the seven deaths you caused?"

SEVEN!? The yakuza's brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "What do you mean, seven? I remember ending the lives of six Shiranui shinobi. Let's see..." He began ticking off his fingers. "Taiyozaki Gosaburou, Shinzawa Tsunehiro, Shiranui Nenosuke, Taiyozaki Anase, Shinzawa Hisaichi, Shinzawa Kiriko...who did I forget?"

Mai was starting to quaver with rage at Yasuhiro's seeming attitude. "My brother...you forgot my brother."

"Katsuda? I have no idea where he is. I didn't even know he was dead. Can I see his grave?" Yasuhiro could hardly hide the magnitude of his interest.

"YOUSAI, you monster! Yousai!" Andy, not expecting this severe an outburst, looked at Mai, and saw the tears starting to well in her eyes.

"Oh, your twin, not your younger. Um, I don't think I had anything to do with poisoning him. No, really," Yasuhiro extended a hand as though to shield himself against Mai, "I don't like poisoning those whom I wish to slay. True enough, I follow a dark path by your standards, but I still know to maintain some honor." Mai looked ready to strike him, but a second later, she relaxed some. Somehow, she knew Yasuhiro spoke the truth.

"Fine." There were still antagonism and pain in her voice. "Just...just get out of here! Enjoy the morning elsewhere!"

Yasuhiro shrugged. "Okay, okay, I know when I'm not wanted. Of course, given what I've done, how can I blame you...sayonara." Yasuhiro walked away, into the mass of buildings.

Mai was still breathing heavily when Andy turned to her. "I don't get it...who else would have a reason to kill Yousai?"

She didn't look back up. "I have no idea. For all we know, Sukune was trying to save Yasuhiro some future trouble. But I know this--he suggested that he knows nothing of Yousai's death, but I think he does know something. That's rule number one about either Isawa--if he says outright he knows nothing about something that you specifically brought up, he probably does know at least a little on that subject, and he doesn't want you to know. At least I can be sure that he knows as little about Katsuda's whereabouts as we do."

The look of determination in Mai's eyes was immediately recognizable by Andy. "But, what are you going to do? We both know it would be suicide to try to force answers out of him."

"No...I'm going to follow him." Mai pivoted to face the path Yasuhiro had taken when leaving. "We know he rarely travels without Sukune or someone else as an escort. I'm sure I can follow him without his realizing I'm there. I can bet that, when he meets his escort, he'll chat about the talk we just had, and he'll spill something about Yousai."

Andy felt fear course through his body again. He grasped Mai's shoulders to hold her back. "Mai...don't do it! If Yasuhiro does manage to detect you, he'll...he'll kill you! I can't bear to let that happen!"

Mai brushed off her friend's hands "Andy, relax. Mizuna told me a year ago that Yasuhiro spends as much time as he can keeping surveillance on the Shiranui-jo. I don't think he could track US at the same time. I don't think he's familiar with me. He'd probably kill me in single battle, but I don't think he could find me if I were tracking him. Besides, can we really pass up this opportunity to take a record for, oh, I don't know, Interpol? Hon-Fu hasn't left for Hong Kong yet, after all."

Andy closed his eyes for a few seconds, then opened them. "Mai, you said about twenty minutes ago that you didn't want to meet Ya--" He then saw that his audience had already left in pursuit of Yasuhiro. His fear turned to outright terror. "MAI! Get back here!" He had barely run a few steps before he heard a new voice.

"Halt!" Quickly spinning around, Andy found the voice's source--an azure-robed, red-hooded man with cold, sorrowful eyes and veiled face. The man outstretched his hand. "On order of Isawa Yasuhiro, I, Torikago Kazuo, forbid you to go any further without battling me." The sadness in his eyes seemed to double. "I only hope you can forgive me for doing what Yasuhiro-sama forces me to do." Before Andy could react, Kazuo flipped forward onto his hands, then flipped again into a vault, shouting and aiming his jabbing elbow at Andy's face...

**********

Yasuhiro chuckled quietly as the probe following Mai relayed her movements to him. You didn't think to look for tracking devices on the path I took, did you? You should have stayed at the Shiranui-jo--you'd have had access to all the information they've compiled on me, including my mechanichal resources. Yasuhiro had planted that probe knowing that inevitably, either Andy or Mai would try to follow him. As much as they feared him, he knew that one would ultimately get very curious as to just how much he knew about Yousai's death--a wonderful bait that had come up miraculously. He wouldn't have to bother with having to forcefully separate his enemies. He checked his communications link with Kazuo. Perfect, it looks like Kazuo's just starting to hammer Andy out of my worries. He knew that, if he were to maintain his honor, he would have to ensure that he killed Mai before she found out Andy's death. Likewise, if Mai died first, he would have to ensure that Andy would only find out in the afterlife. As much as he hated Clan Shiranui, he could not bear to inflict unnecessary pain on them. That was why he tried to kill a set of lovers simultaneously, so the hideous pain of bereavement could not strike them. He had known the pain of bereavement himself, twice. Ah, good, Mai's starting to close in. Better tell Kazuo.

Mai deftly leapt from the low, one-story warehouse she was perched on to the ground, landing silently. At the end of a nearby, heavily shadowed alley, she saw Yasuhiro, facing away from her. Smiling grimly, she dove behind a dumpster, just barely peeking out. Her smile widened as she saw Yasuhiro look around the intersection he was at, then bring near his mouth some sort of communicator. Come on, Yasuhiro. Let's hear what you've got to say to your friends about Yousai.

As Mai listened, Yasuhiro made his report. "Kazuo...are you there? Ah, good. How much trouble is Andy in? Plenty? Then keep applying the pressure--I hardly need him here."

Mai's smile dissipated instantly. Andy, in trouble with this 'Kazuo'? Great, and to think HE was worrying about ME. She was about to turn to leave to assist Andy, when she heard Yasuhiro's next speech. "Now, while you're handling our gaijin shinobi friend..." Yasuhiro pivoted so he could see Mai, and she could see his grinning visage. Mai felt all the color drain from her face and an absolutely horrendous dread take its place.

"...I'm going to eliminate a certain Shiranui shinobi-ko!"

**********

Andy rolled out of Kazuo's way, a split-second before the robed warrior hit. Kazuo quickly rolled into a standing position. "Come! If you are to save the one you love from Yasuhiro, you must stop me first!"

Terror suffused Andy once more, at double the previous strength. SAVE HER FROM YASUHIRO!? DEAR GOD, DON'T LET EITHER OF THESE TWO WIN!! Andy quickly summoned his ki, then rushed forward in a standing slide, calling "Zan'ei Ken!" Shadows of ki trailed behind him as he charged Kazuo. Kazuo, for his part, quickly crossed his arms and shouted "Nakina Sanmon!" To Andy's amazement, the fighter disappeared instantly. The younger Bogard looked around, trying to find his foe--the fact that he couldn't detect his ki aura didn't help any--when he felt a terrific force slam into his back, knocking him down. He jumped away, and rotated to face Kazuo, who was now where Andy had been.

"I...I can't let you bar me." Andy's eyes were already starting to fill with tears. "Can't you ignore Yasuhiro's orders? I know that you looked as though you didn't want to follow through."

"I have a pact," Torikago murmurred. With that, he raised his head, and jerked his right arm straight up...

"JIN'EI NO MAIHIME!"

Two jet-black images emerged from Kazuo, and started to rotate about him. Considering the times he had trained with Mai, and dealt with her Kagero no Mai, Andy summoned forth another Zan'ei Ken, rushing between the images to ram his robed nemesis...

Andy charged right into another emerging image.

As Andy was propelled into the ground, he saw the images wink out in bursts of black light. Four images...? His next thought chilled his soul further. The Shinobi Bachi, then some variation on the Kagero no Mai...did we have a traitor in our midst!? Wasting no more time, Andy charged Kazuo. Before he could defend himself, Andy hit him with a palm strike, then a straight kick. Amazingly, Kazuo's eyes did not register any injury. Kazuo quickly recovered, and rushed forward with a low jump kick and two jabbing punches. Only the two punches slipped through Andy's defenses. On the second of these, Bogard shot a quick burst of ki, like a dart, down into Kazuo's stomach. Kazuo was knocked back a little, giving Andy another opportunity to attack.

"Hisyo Ken!" Andy lobbed the bolt of force straight into Kazuo's face. As Kazuo recoiled, Andy followed up with a Kuha Dan. He thought he had once again succeeded in getting through Kazuo. The call of "Nakina Sanmon!" told him he was wrong.

Andy quickly looked around to see where his foe had teleported to this time. Just as he caught sight of Kazuo, Kazuo drew his arm back and quickly released a long, glowing beam of energy, shouting "Hitan no Mori!" The lance just barely missed Andy. Andy swore he could feel the combined heat of three furnaces radiating from the blast. Rushing forward to take advantage of Kazuo recovering his ki, he performed a powerful jump kick. He felt a strange satisfaction when his foot struck Kazuo's veil--he thought he heard something like a piece of machinery crunch under the impact. Kazuo let himself fall back to his hands, but kicked upwards with both feet into Andy's jaw, then flipped forward, jabbing his hands in like knives, and scored a cut in Andy's chest. Andy immediately set off a Geki Hisyo Ken, while Kazuo was still straightening himself from his landing. Unprepared, the veiled warrior found himself blasted by force in every direction before the ki storm dropped him back to the ground. Kazuo wasn't done yet, however. He flipped back while kicking with both feet, which left trails of flame. The wake knocked Andy away. It's not possible...none of the Shiranui are missing or known to be traitors. Where did this guy GET Shiranui powers? Somehow, he wasn't surprised when Kazuo performed a Kuha Dan of his own, quickly moving into Andy's area. Andy immediately trapped his enemy in his legs, then slammed him down to earth and kicked him away.

Kazuo recovered as quickly as ever, but not quickly enough to ward off a swarm of punches from Andy. As Kazuo fell down from the last blow, Andy noticed something odd--Torikago was showing no signs of bleeding. Andy, for his part, already had a few cuts. "You mentioned a pact," he murmurred. "My God, what kind of pact did he force you to?"

"I only pray that you never fall under it, for it is pain everlasting." Kazuo then screamed, a deafening, high-pitched wail blasting Andy's ears. Andy screeched in pain from the sound for two seconds, during which time his thoughts were only a maelstrom of terror, of everything he loathed and feared to the utmost. Finally, the scream ended. Andy looked back at Kazuo, whispering "Are you even still human?"

The instant he saw Torikago, a strange dread came through him. A glimmer of sadness flashed through Kazuo's eyes, then he charged forward with a punch. Instantly, all the dread in Andy transformed into fear and terror. Screaming in fright, he ran away from Kazuo. Kazuo, loathing all the while Yasuhiro's instruction, began launching lances at Andy, driving him away from where Yasuhiro and Mai would be fighting. Shrieking with terror, Andy leapt away, into the canopy of a small building, and cowered within it as though it were a tiny church sanctuary from which he did not dare extend a nail.

Kazuo looked at Andy with pity. He hated using the Osore no Seika, but he had had no choice if he were to obey Yasuhiro. He then looked down to the comlink behind his veil. Andy's kick had damaged it--it could no longer send, and reception was undependable. However, he had heard a few snatches from Yasuhiro's battle, and it sounded like Mai was actually giving him a tough fight. He threw the comlink away, then glanced at Andy. The supernatural fear would keep him cowering like that for a few minutes. He had enough time to join and assist Yasuhiro, which he proceeded to do, leaving a quavering Andy, who never took his eyes off Kazuo, and remained sobbing like a frightened six-year-old child.

"Yes...please...keep away..."

**********

"Now, come on, Yasuhiro, how did you know I was here?"

Mai started to back away from Yasuhiro, who was apparently already gathering his ki and whatever else he used. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a small hovering machine behind her, to her right. Oh...that's how. She snatched the probe, crumpling its delicate antennae, then threw it at Yasuhiro, intending to distract him long enough to escape. He merely deflected it. "Now, Shiranui pest, I am definitely going to bring the kill count to seven!...DOUTEKI KEI!" A tendril of pure energy lashed out from Yasuhiro's hand and struck the onrushing Mai in her right shoulder. Mai collapsed a little, hissing in pain. Yasuhiro chuckled quietly. "Oh yes, that's right...that spot got a bit weakened during your fight with Chon-Shu, didn't it? Allow me to finish the job he left undone."

"Well, why not come up with something else?" Mai managed to rise back up to her feet.

"How about this?" Yasuhiro drew back his hand as though to throw something, murmurred words of some incomprehensible tongue, then launched forward of bolt of grey liquid. Mai rolled to her side, and saw the bolt hit the dumpster, hissing as it began to corrode the surface. Acid...I should have taken into account that he's a sorceror!!

Mai knew she didn't have enough room to fight Yasuhiro--effectively fight was out of the question entirely. She quickly dug into her jacket pocket, and in one motion, pulled out and hurled at the Yakuza sorcerer a pair of shuriken. Yasuhiro turned a little to avoid getting hit--giving Mai enough time to flee to a more open area. Scowling, Yasuhiro rushed in her direction. He rounded a corner into a sort of plaza, only to find he was moving a little too quickly...

"RYU EN BU!" Mai made a cutting motion with her left hand, leaving a trail of flames. Yasuhiro was blasted back the instant the field touched him. He raised an eyebrow as he supported himself. She usually uses the tassels of that bad excuse for a uniform to conduct that one...she's getting better if she doesn't have to use them now. Then he noticed that Mai had taken longer than usual to recover. Looks like you're paying a penalty for using an unfamiliar attack vector...time to take advantage. These thoughts sped through Yasuhiro's mind in a second. At the end of that second, he launched himself into the air--just avoiding a foot sweep from Mai--then descended in an upright position, the soles of his feet on a direct course for Mai's head. By the time Mai saw what Yasuhiro was doing, she could not avoid his attack. Yasuhiro smote the top of her head with his feet, then instantly inverted into a hammer punch aimed directly at her nape. Mai collapsed, yet immediately rolled away, not interested in becoming a kicking bag. She leaped up and towards the Yakuza, trying to land a jump kick. Yasuhiro swatted her to the ground, grabbed her, held her up a while as he gathered his strength, then smashed her back down.

Yasuhiro glared at her. "I'd think you'd like seeing Kiriko, at least. She and the rest will be only too happy to explain what I've been up to."

Mai stood up, wishing she had her customary maiougi with her to protect herself. "You can do that yourself on whatever day we next meet. And I assure you, I'll find enough people to end your Shiranui killing spree."

"Spree? The ones that died merely got in my way, as did the two Mochizuki and four Bushin who can consider me the cause of death. Just be thankful they didn't get in my allies' way. Their deaths would have been that much more horrible." Confusion crossed Mai's face on hearing the word "allies." Yasuhiro grinned. "I don't work alone. The network I'm a member in has greater sights than just Japan. Your clan, though, keeps getting in the way. You're one of our greatest obstacles to our objective, and for that...you must eventually all die. War has been declared!"

With that last word, Yasuhiro mumbled another spell, this time launching an unbelievably quick bolt of electricity at Mai. Mai ducked, then flipped onto the wall of the plaza. She launched herself, headfirst, screaming at Yasuhiro. Nonplussed, Yasuhiro merely did a scissor kick, flipping his legs right onto Mai's back, crushing her to the ground. Rubbing her head, she carefully picked herself up, looking right at a smirking Yasuhiro. "Come on, Mai...I'd think that after the 1992 Street Fighter Tournament, you and every other ki-wielder would understand what the very basics of Ler Drit were. Don't tell me you weren't following it. I know I was--I have to watch for those who use the mahou-polluted version of my art."

"I...had other things...to follow...then," Mai gasped. She began focusing as much ki as she could--she had to at least harrow him enough to have a chance of escape. She reached into her jacket pocket, her hand clasping around an egg-like object...

"Now, if you don't mind..." Yasuhiro prepared himself for another scissor kick, when Mai's position was suddenly obscured by a billowing cloud of smoke. Annoyed, Yasuhiro tried to peer into the cloud--whatever the nageteppo had contained, it was keeping him from detecting any ki--when he heard Mai shout "KI-RIN NO MAI!"

Ki-rin? Just what is-- "Aaaaggghhh!!!" Mai had come drilling out of the top of the cloud, feet first and surrounded by fire, right onto Yasuhiro's chest, following contact with an arcing hammer punch that smashed him to the ground. As she landed, her foe remained prostrate on the ground, wheezing. After a couple of seconds, he picked himself up. "Your version of Andy's Cho Reppa Dan, I trust? I like the idea--it's a good tribute to the one you love." Mai, however, had fled through the dispersing smoke to another part of the abandoned district. Yasuhiro shook his head. Still afraid to face me? Show the courage that your kin do...especially that of a certain six. Now, this place resembles a cemetery enough--why not make it live up to its atmosphere?

He rushed through the cloud into another street. He caught a glimpse of Mai, who immediately cast another pair of shuriken at him. This time, though, he immediately cast another spell. He became insubstantial, and slid forward rather quickly, the shuriken going through him as though he weren't there. The Kijutsu Hokou brought him much closer to Mai than she would have liked. Yasuhiro showed no mercy in the following melee, getting in three blows for every one Mai at least attempted to land, his punches and kicks empowered by his kinetic-based Ler Drit. As Mai began to show signs of being stunned, he grinned wickedly. "Now that I've got my sorcerous energies warmed up...perish." With that, he spoke his spell, and fired a bolt of electricity. Mai had no time to avoid it. The bolt knocked her back a few feet, and she looked up just in time to see a bolt of pale blue energy coming straight for her. She rolled away, just feeling the intense cold of the blast, then leaped to avoid a succession of two fire bolts and an acid bolt. I already see this will be too much--Yasuhiro's energies are definitely at their peak now. I've got to find Andy, and get out of here! Finding Terry, Siobhan and the rest won't work--he'll probably massacre them, too! She jumped again to avoid a pair of cold bolts...only to find Yasuhiro had teleported to a couple of meters away from her. Desperate, she flipped into her Shinobi Bachi, hoping to catch him off guard.

Seeing what was coming, Yasuhiro grasped his left wrist with his right hand, reared back, and shouted "DOUTEKI KIRI!" He flew forward, spinning and parallel to the ground, surrounded by kinetic energy. The instant Mai's elbow touched the aura, she felt a hideous wrenching pain, as though every kinetic vector in her body had been instantaneously reversed. Hurled back by the drill, she slammed into a building, and crumpled to the ground, moaning with pain. As she gingerly tried to stand back up, she couldn't help but notice that the building had an old wood-supported metal billboard, and that the wall she hit wasn't that sturdy, the mortar disintegrating. Mai shuddered as the sight brought to mind an old headstone. She tumbled to the building's front. When she landed, she could not avoid giving a short cry of pain--between being effectively hit with her own Shinobi Bachi, and slamming into the building, some bones must have cracked. She cringed as she felt blood on her lips and the back of her neck. Mai wailed in pain again when she felt two energy blasts--Douteki Kei, it seemed--ram into her arm. The force of the lashes knocked her prostrate.

Mai looked up at Yasuhiro. He slowly shook his head. "Time to end this fight, and your pain, quickly. At least you won't linger." If you can move to avoid this at all, now, I'll be quite surprised. Horror coursed through Mai anew as she understood what was about to happen. Her eyes remained on Yasuhiro, raising his arms. She did not notice the red-hooded man running up to them...

Yasuhiro began to activate his power. "Puraaazumaaa..." Light orange ki began to surround him. Mai leapt to her feet, adrenalin levels matching her terror and overcoming her pain. She saw only one way to escape--into the building. She rushed in, vaulting up stairs and tumbling through the next room. When she reached the opposite wall, she compressed herself as much as she could, praying desperately that she was far enough away to not be hit...and slain. The idea that she had fled straight into a sepulcher refused to leave her mind.

Kazuo ran up to the same wall where Mai had been blasted by the Drill. "So you are in there? Perhaps--" He turned to Yasuhiro, and stopped speaking instantly. "No, Isawa- sama! I'm not--"

Yasuhiro, however, could not hear Kazuo through the ki shell. Just as Kazuo began speaking, he activated his power, sweeping his arms wide and down to release the tremendous buildup of ki...

"SHOUGEKAHA!!!!"

The attack came forth as a long, narrow arc of orange ki, trailing an twelve-feet wide, seven-feet tall wake of energy. The blast tore into the building, ripping through wooden supports as though they weren't there. It shore through the rusted metal stairway Mai had used, and finally dissipated when it hit just beyond the stairs a brick wall that hadn't started crumbling, let alone collapsing--a situation which the shockwave's impact changed. Portions of the ceiling above came crashing down, their supports destroyed, but not the section on which Mai was cowering.

Kazuo had rolled away to avoid getting hit. He came up when he heard the blast end, then looked up to see the wall and billboard collapse--right on top of him. He was so surprised that he didn't think to use the Nakina Sanmon. The weight of the stone kept him pinned down to the ground, totally immobile.

Yasuhiro opened his eyes, fully expecting to see Mai's dead body somewhere in front of him. Instead, he only saw the ruined front of the building. Shaking his head in disbelief, he walked over to the pile of rubble at the side. There, he saw inside the pile some red fabric. Thinking that Mai might be buried there, he quickened his pace. Kneeling so he could see right into the pile, he shook his head ruefully. "Not much of a way for a Shiranui to die, is it?"

"Ugh...you got that right, Isawa-sama. At least I've got an actual tomb."

Yasuhiro was surprised, to say the least. "Kazuo?! What are you doing here?" I guess that's not Mai's jacket, but Kazuo's hood. I can't see anything else, not even his eyes or the collar of his robes.

"I gave Andy the Osore no Seika. He should still be cowering where we met. I would have told you, but one of his attacks ruined my comlink. It sounded like Mai was actually causing trouble, so...well...another part of the pact took precedence." Kazuo paused for a few seconds. "I can't teleport out, since I'm not upright. You'll have to deal with Andy yourself. As for Mai, I'm pretty sure she's in that ruin--the part that hasn't become my blanket. I did note a little movement in there...and I think I'm detecting a little regenerative ki."

Yasuhiro looked up at what was left of the building. "I don't think Mai will be getting out anytime soon. The stairs are gone, and she seemed to be in a lot of pain--she probably won't be willing to jump out and wreck more of her skeleton in the process. Try to dig yourself out--I'm teleporting to Andy. If you're free, and you see Mai, do everything you can to defeat her. Only kill her if absolutely necessary--I'd still like to destroy her myself." Yasuhiro began to speak a lengthy spell, slowly fading out, then disappearing entirely.

**********

For several minutes, now, Andy had been afraid to emerge from his hiding place, fearful that Kazuo would rush forward and smash him to pieces if he strayed even a centimeter from his sanctuary. However, with great effort, he stepped forward carefully looking from side to side.

He exhaled with relief. No Kazuo.

Still, he walked with intense caution, every sense at full alert in case Kazuo--or, worse yet, Yasuhiro--decided to attack. What he did hear, though, filled him not with fear, but horrific dread.

A low, echoing, pseudo-metallic roar. Andy's heartbeat quickened incredibly as he recognized it.

Purazuma Shougekaha.

It was one of Yasuhiro's most draining powers. And on every one of the three times he had been known to use it, a Shiranui had died.

Andy ran towards where he had heard the distant blast, screaming a single name.

**********

Yasuhiro materialized in the area where Andy and Kazuo had fought. Frowning, he scanned his surroundings, trying to detect any ki-wielders.

Nothing. And no signs of nageteppo or any other obscurers, either.

"We need to do something about your leaving the last parts of a mission undone. We'll have to update your pact a bit." Yasuhiro teleported back, hoping that Mai was still for the taking.

**********

Andy found his target--an old building that had apparently been hit by the brunt of a Shougekaha. Not that a human body would have stopped it. He was about to call for Mai, when he noticed the rockfall, and a tiny glimmer of red within. His heart sinking, he ran to the rockfall. All he could see within it was some red fabric, apparently covering something, but it confirmed his fears.

Mai was dead.

Andy fell to his knees instantly, his strength dissipating just as quickly, and began weeping uncontrollably, sobbing Mai's name over and over. Kazuo could hear him, and would have liked to be able to speak, so Andy would know that it wasn't Mai who was in there. However, his voice was normally very quiet--only raising in actual battle--and the interference of the stones, on top of that, made it impossible for his voice to penetrate Andy's crying. I suppose he would have tried to lift up the stone first, but his strength must have been ravaged after the Seika...perhaps I was prescient when I decided against the Hitan no Seika. To combine this great natural sadness with supernatural sorrow...it would surely have killed him!

Memories of his life, his experiences with Mai and her brothers, flew through Andy's mind...first meeting her and Katsuda when he arrived at the Shiranui-jo...his first birthday party in Japan, when Jubei, Mai, Yousai, and Siobhan had taken it upon themselves to create a surprise party for him at the Shinzawa Grottoes...Siobhan's "enhanced" training session ideas, giving her comrades an extra headache in combat by utilizing her psychokinesis as a weapon (she claimed she was doing it to give them even more of a tri-dimensional practice ground; Andy and Katsuda suspected mild sadism)...the myriad normal training sessions with Mai, including a rather memorable moment when, while practicing with fake shinobito--which were supposed to be the only weapons--Mai had taken a folding kaginawa she had concealed in her training outfit, and used it to quickly disarm and defeat Andy (Yousai thought Mai had cheated; Katsuda and Siobhan saw nothing wrong, thinking it in line even with the nobler Shiranui ideals of ninjutsu)... Two moments in particular stood out in Andy's head. One was a foothills birdwatching expedition Siobhan had conviced him and the twins to accompany her on (Katsuda was more worried about understanding esoteric literature on the sorcerers of the past--ambitious, for his only being eleven years old then). At one point, while trying to track some bulfinches, Andy and Mai had gotten separated from Siobhan and Yousai. While trying to get back, they came upon a small lake, where several cranes were feeding. As they were watching, a fiery shape had descended. The startled shinobi children had looked up...to see an actual ki-rin. The magnificent creature had looked them over for a few seconds, then apparently smiled at them. After a few more seconds, it sped away. Awestruck, the two had remained at the lake, silent and reflective, for a minute, before a somewhat annoyed Yousai found them. The story of the ki-rin seemed unlikely to him, as it did to Siobhan. Nonetheless, Andy and Mai knew what they had seen...and that the ki- rin had seemed to bless them.

The other moment was the feast Mizuna, Mai, and Yousai had created for him, Katsuda, and Siobhan after their genpuku ceremony. Although Katsuda (who did indeed act very adult-like despite being thirteen years old) didn't think it necessary, Andy and Siobhan had certainly enjoyed themselves. After the feast, Mai had taken Andy in private. As a gesture of the great friendship she had for Andy, she "forced" Yousai (in reality an accomplice) to act as a witness to her mock proposal to Andy. Seeing evidence that this was just a play (mostly from Yousai's expression--he should have taken Mai's seeming seriousness as an omen), Andy went along, even going so far as to hold Mai in his embrace at Yousai's very insistent prompting. Three years later, he found that he might have given Mai too many ideas--she had at some point gotten the idea that Andy really did love her, and, fresh from her genpuku, began doing everything she could to "retake" Andy's heart, one means (Andy thought) being a ridiculously revealing battle uniform (when Siobhan had heard about it, she had become convinced instead that the only problem was that modernism had absorbed too much of Mai's mind). But now, Andy understood that Mai had won his heart even before he had left the Shiranui-jo. Subconsciously, he had taken the post-genpuku "proposal" seriously. The friendship he had forged with her when he entered Clan Shiranui had steadily grown until it flowered into each loving the other with the entire heart and soul.

And now, the one he loved most had been torn away from him, leaving him stranded for the rest of his life in utter desolation and despair.

She was gone forever. Destroyed by Yasuhiro.

Yasuhiro...

A terrific rage began to boil within Andy. First you slew Tsunehiro, then Gosaburou, then Anase and Nenosuke--all that before I arrived. After I arrived, you murdered Hisaichi, then Kiriko, and tried to kill Mizuna and Katsuda. But now, you son of an oni, you've made your final kill...

FOR MURDERING MAI, I WILL DESTROY YOU UTTERLY!!!

The instant Andy finished that thought, he heard a gentle whir at the building's front. He raced there, and saw Yasuhiro materialize. A low growl escaped from Andy's throat, causing the Yakuza to quickly turn around. Amazement covered his features.

"I see you're here, but...what did I or Kazuo do to get--"

Andy leaped at Yasuhiro.

"DIE, MAHOUTSUKAI!!!"

**********

Mai was startled from her regenerative trance by Andy's scream. She had entered the trance partly to heal after the somewhat one-sided fight with Yasuhiro, and partly to try to eliminate the sheer horror of being so close to an activated Shougekaha. Every half- second during the attack, she had thought she would faint--or die--the next half-second. If she had had about five more minutes, she would have been ready to brave Yasuhiro...for at least a little while. She carefully stepped to a window whose underlying floor had not been destroyed by the Shougekaha. She could see two forms fighting below. She strained to hear what they were saying...

"Me? A mahoutsukai?! Give me more credit than that! Just because I'm interested in my alliance taking over the world doesn't mean I work with tenma, rakshasi, or such! If you want mahoutsukai, try the Orochi Alliance!"

Andy smashed Yasuhiro away--down the path he had taken to reach Mai--with a Shippu Tatsumaki Geri. He landed a little to Yasuhiro's side. "You're still going to die, murderer! You got that? YOU'RE DEAD!!!"

Yasuhiro flipped away from the force dart Andy threw at him, then cast a lightning bolt of his own. "I'm still very much alive, thank you. Keep this up, though, and I won't be able to say the same about you."

"Oh, I don't THINK so, Isawa slime." To Mai's amazement--and dismay--Andy didn't seem too concerned when the electricity clipped his right arm, burning him a little. "You really think I won't be able to destroy you? I now have every reason in the world...

"FOR MURDERING THE WOMAN I LOVED, YOU WILL DIE!!!"

**********

Mai blinked her eyes a few times--in which time Andy dashed out of her sight, after Yasuhiro. NOW you admit that you love me--and to HIM first!? Well, since you think he actually killed me... Chuckling sadly to herself, Mai prepared to leave the building, by the quickest way she was willing. None could see all the joy that was flying through her heart on seeing that Andy--no matter how seemingly tragic the circumstances--had recognized his love for her. She carefully positioned herself to climb onto the window frame...

**********

Yasuhiro grabbed Andy just as he landed from a Kuha Dan, and lobbed him into a side street leading closer to where they had first met that morning. He rushed forward, and murmurred a spell as he stopped. Andy rose right into an eight-way, circular field of electricity emanating from Yasuhiro's outstretched fist. Andy wasn't too badly singed, though, and slipped behind the sorcerer, grabbed him from behind, and repeatedly kicked his stomach. He finally knocked him down and threw a force dart into him. Andy then kicked at Yasuhiro as he rose, following with a palm uppercut. Yasuhiro returned by leaning back and unleashing a charged roundhouse kick, then clipping his enemy with a scissor kick. Terrific, if this keeps up, he'll never see Mai or Kazuo emerge. I suppose I WILL have to tell him what happened... "Look, Andy-san, I know you're thinking otherwise, but, well...I didn't kill Mai! She isn't even dead!!" Andy was showing no sign of belief. "I accidentally trapped Kazuo in there! If you don't believe me, check!"

Andy began gathering his ki. All that could be seen on his bright red face was rage. "You think I'm going to believe such a weak lie? Your kindness to your followers is well known! Since when do you allow one of your attacks to hurt a comrade?!"

"When I don't know he's there! He came while I was charging the Shougekaha!" Yasuhiro began charging up his ki, too. And how does one 'hurt' Kazuo in the first place?

"Oh, suuure. Like you expect me to believe something that a little child would see right through!" With a final scream, Andy charged into a powerful Zan'ei Ken, trying to strike Yasuhiro while he was busy collecting ki. However, that was not what the sorceror had been doing. He had been alert all the time. The instant the shinobi struck, Yasuhiro deflected the offensive energy back through Andy with a kinetically-charged palm.

The Ler Drit wielder shook his head. "Such things that 'a little child would see right through' can happen, Bogard-san. Try to believe me when I say it did happen this time." Partly so I don't have to put up with so much fury anymore. He knelt beside the prone Andy. "Look, I've lost two daughters and a wife. Sukune is all I have left of my family, and I know what bereavement does. I'm not so sadistic as to inflic--AAAGH!"

Yasuhiro tried to pry Andy's fingers off his throat. "Damn you, Yasuhiro, I know for a fact that you and every other underworld lord like you don't care in the least about your enemies. I can see in your heart your love of destruction which you share with the whole underworld--AND I'M GOING TO RIP IT OUT OF YOU ALONG WITH YOUR HEART!!!"

Even though I became master over that almost half a century ago? I see in YOU that kind of desire--just focussed on me...and you. I wouldn't be surprised if you commited suicide in despair after you're through with me. Allow me to save you the trouble... Yasuhiro stopped prying, and put his palms together like a shield. With a thought, a small jet of flame, like a miniature Ryusei Ken, emerged from his palms. The Kakka Haji blasted Andy away, and thus removed the pressure from Yasuhiro's neck. Yasuhiro rubbed his throat to put his larynx back in alignment, then charged Andy. The two began to move towards the original vista, trading Hisyo Ken and Genso no Boruto...

**********

Mai looked carefully at the exterior wall next to the window. It looked like she could scale down it, even with just her fingers, and no nekode or such. She made her leap, and expertly landed so that she was attached to the wall like a tree frog. She started to carefully climb down, when she heard an odd rustle of stone from below her.

Sighing, Kazuo had finally summoned enough strength to break free from his prison. He strained to push the stone and wrecked billboard away and, after a few seconds, burst free, like a thing rising from its grave. Mai very nearly lost her grip on seeing the red-hooded man emerge. What...who...just who IS this? And how did he survive getting squished like that? Without cuts, no less?

Kazuo looked around quickly. No Yasuhiro or Andy. He then noticed Mai above him. He vaulted further away, and faced Mai. Mai decided to scale down more quickly.

"You are in a hurry?" Kazuo commented. "I fear I'm only allowed one way to assist..."

"Then don't--"

"HITAN NO MORI!"

The lance struck the wall just beside Mai. The wall shattered, tearing her away from the surface, and making her fall more than ten feet to the pavement. Mai managed to make sure that her head didn't strike the ground, although she felt some more complaining from her side. Didn't I just heal those ribs? She then cast a glance at her apparent adversary, marveling at his robes and his cold eyes. "And you are...?"

The man nodded. "Torikago Kazuo, servant of Isawa Yasuhiro...unwillingly."

Kazuo...he's the guy Yasuhiro sent after Andy! "Okaaay, you must have seen what happened...tell me, why's Andy suddenly so hell-bent on giving Yasuhiro a free trip to Jigoku or reincarnation? What made him think I'm dead?"

"He saw me caught in the rubble. He could only see some of my hood, and immediately assumed it was your jacket. An aftereffect of the Osore no Seika, I fear."

OSORE no Seika? I'm already worried. "Well, if you don't mind, I've got to convince Andy that I'm still alive, and to te--EEP! I guess you do mind!" Mai flipped away from Kazuo's own Musasabi no Mai. The shinobi-ko glared at him. "Copying my maneuvers? Can't you try something else?"

"Very well..." Kazuo rushed forward, hopping into the air and jump-kicking at Mai. She rolled away--having no maiougi, she preferred not to take the blows at all--then threw a nageteppo at him, which exploded at his feet, and covered him with swirling smoke. She prepared to tackle him with a Shinobi Bachi while he was busy with the smoke, when he charged out, showing no signs of having been affected. Not sure whether to believe this was happening, she punched out at him. The punch wasn't particularly strong, though, since she was used to having a maiougi conducting the force. Kazuo jumped away, with Mai giving pursuit. He was ready, however, and thrust his fist into the air as his enemy approached..."JIN'EI NO MAIHIME!"

Mai stopped herself when she saw Kazuo begin his own sort of Kagero no Mai. Smiling, she leaped up, and executed a Musasabi no Mai. She charged in, noting with surprise that he had produced six images, each pair spinning farther away. Kazuo was smashed to the ground just as images seven and eight separated from him. Mai grinned even more widely, and kicked Kazuo's form away. Kazuo rose up, and immediately triggered the Nakina Sanmon. Like Andy, Mai could not detect Kazuo's ki to find him, and had to look with her own eyes. She saw him flying behind her and to her left, doing his own Kuha Dan. She stepped aside, and set him alight with a Ryu En Bu. She then ran in--a bad move, as Kazuo rose and swung his arms together, calling "Geki Hisyo Ken!" A maelstrom of energy and bound air buffeted Mai as the sphere sucked her in, then spit her out as it winked out of existence. She picked herself up--this was actually a much less taxing fight than the one with Yasuhiro--punched Kazuo twice, then quickly grabbed the veiled warrior's shoulders, flipped over him, then flipped him over her. Kazuo crashed to the ground, and declined to move--he had to recover his ki.

Mai walked up to him, a sad smile on her face. Even as she noticed that he was recovering little by little, she looked down and spoke to him. "Y'know, if you would just consider not working for Yasuhiro, you wouldn't be in this mess." Her smile vanished. "And we could find out how you know Shiranui maneuvers." Something in Kazuo's look told her that he would do so if he could, but was incapable of it. "What's wrong?" Mai asked as she looked into his cold eyes...

His cold, dead eyes.

Mai's scream of horror was cut short as Kazuo performed a Yami Abisegeri, knocking her back. Mai's heart refused to slow down as she tried to gauge her foe. The rockfall...the nageteppo...his eyes...oh, my God, KAZUO'S UNDEAD!!! Breathing rapidly, primarily from sheer horror, Mai ducked as Kazuo vaulted over her, his jump kick missing.

When Kazuo landed, he muttered "Now, it must end..." He drew his arms back, and shouted "ZETSUBOU NO TOBIHI!!!" Kazuo immolated himself, and caused a massive gout of flame to fly straight out from his entire body. Mai rolled away just as the fires began to touch her, then gathered as much ki as she could for when the firestorm ended. After a few seconds, the flames dissipated, and Kazuo was vulnerable. Mai flipped onto her hands, then at the undead warrior, immolating herself. Kazuo, still recovering from projecting that much flame, was hit very hard by the fiery shinobi-ko. He ended up being smashed into the ground, Mai's remaining flame blasting into him and crushing him further. He did not deign to get up.

Mai, for her part, slowly approached her fallen enemy, fright still ruling her heart. "What...what happened to you? What did Yasuhiro do to you?" She could feel nothing but pity for Kazuo, now. It was obvious that he had not chosen to become an undead.

"Forgive me if...if I cannot answer...well...I..."

"I know...you're undead...going back to the grave, I hope?" There was no malice in Mai's voice--she was sure that that was the same thing Kazuo wanted.

"I...was never there...I went straight from life...to undeath...Forgive...my difficulty speaking...Must realign...nether energies...no other choice..." Kazuo stopped speaking. Mai tried not to let herself get too absorbed in noticing that Kazuo's chest was not moving with any of his words. He continued. "It was...not Yasuhiro who made...me this way...not directly. His student...did this...He lured me...to my destruction...This is the fate...of so many of their...foes, and of...those who betray them..."

Mai shuddered. "So much for Yasuhiro being honorable..."

For the first time, hate flashed through Kazuo's eyes. "They think...themselves the coming elite...ruling class...Yasuhiro does not consider...the torture of...undeath...dishonorable...he thinks it a correct...punishment for...opposing the worthy leaders of...the world...the eternal pain of undeath...to match their eternal reign. Yasuhiro thinks he is honorable, but chooses to ignore the stain from condoning undeath..."

Mai thought she would explode with outrage at what Yasuhiro and his comrades had done. "I will destroy you here, and set your soul at peace. Then I will teach Yasuhiro something--"

"No! Andy is your first concern! He fights desperately to avenge you, and Yasuhiro will surely kill him, if only in self-defense! You must save him from himself and Isawa! Perhaps, if you save him quickly enough, before my nether energies are fully regenerated, you can set me free..."

Mai bowed her head, tears of fury and pity starting to roll down her face. "You have my word, Kazuo. I swear by the spirit of Shiranui Kazeto that I will someday destroy your curse forever." She then ran down the street she had seen Yasuhiro and Andy take. A trail of blood--unknown to Mai, more Andy's than Yasuhiro's--gave her a good idea of the path they had taken, as did blast marks, acid burns, and hoarfrost on the walls...

**********

Yasuhiro was fighting for his life on the cliffside street. So much desperation, so little regard for self...why must I be forced to engage where MY death is a possibility? He had already fallen prey to a Sho Ryu Dan, then an incredible pummeling from Andy while he had been trying to recover. He had just gotten out of the attack with a Shokkingu Haji, and was now doing everything he could to avoid running a similar gauntlet. Yasuhiro looked down at himself. His suit was badly torn, and there were myriad cuts visible where the tears were. His face had received remarkably little punishment, but he expected that Andy would soon resolve that problem. Indeed, Andy decided to start following up to Yasuhiro's death with a Zan'ei Ken. Yasuhiro kicked him out of it. As Andy quickly recovered, Yasuhiro noticed that the shinobi was also very heavily wounded. There seemed to be a wound every five inches on his upper body, typically from a Douteki Kei or fire bolt. Andy, though, was ignoring them--his rage was giving him all the power he needed. Ready to destroy his nemesis, Andy crouched down...

"ZAN'EI REPPA!!"

Andy spun into a Kuha Dan-like drill, only this time, fire and smoke surrounded him to seven inches out. Yasuhiro felt the blast of heat weaken him some as he set his arms to keep Andy away from him. He saw his chance to end the battle when Andy landed.

"I've had enough of this, gaijin...DOUTEKI BORUTO!" Yasuhiro fired a pulse of pure kinetic energy. The bolt moved so quickly that Andy could not escape. The blast plowed into his body with an amazing amount of force--understandable, since it was made from Yasuhiro's undiluted kinetic ki. Andy, however, was not yet out of it. Yasuhiro didn't expect him to be.

"Now, my foe, you are sure to next see Mai in heaven." Forgive me, Mai, but I must destroy him now to live. At that moment, Mai had reached the intersection of the streets, just in time to see Yasuhiro begin his spell.

Yasuhiro had brought his hands close together, palms facing each other, as he began his chant. Bolts of electricity formed between them, and at the same time, motes of ball lightning formed around Andy. He screamed in pain from the electricity even as he tried to move forward. For only three seconds, the motes had lasted, but it was enough. Just before the spell ended, Andy fell to the ground, finally unconscious. A split second later, Mai raced to his body, screaming his name.

Yasuhiro glowered at Mai as she checked Andy's pulse. "Well, it's high time you made yourself known! Do you have any idea what you could have stopped...like the possibility of one of our deaths?" Yasuhiro had noticed Mai's terror decrease a little when she found that Andy still had a pulse.

Mai looked back at Yasuhiro, fury clear on her face through her tears. "Consider yourself lucky that Andy lives, Yasuhiro. But you still have a lot to answer for." A slight rasp could be heard in Mai's voice.

Yasuhiro raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Kazuo. What did he do to deserve undeath?"

The Yakuza appeared alarmed at Mai's knowledge. "He was fool enough to try to put an end to me. However, I had other things to deal with, so I let my former apprentice deal with him. Had he fought me, he would never have become undead--I don't have the means for that, only my student." Yasuhiro's gaze became as hard as diamond. "Those who would oppose our coming order deserve no pity. The able must rule. And we are the able who know this!"

He turned his gaze to Andy. "And we must eliminate any who would keep us from our eternal destiny. You two are easily the most dangerous of the Shiranui. Since you are freelancers, you are not bound by the dictates of the Emperor on which missions to take and not take. You would be able to undo anything we did that we were able to hide from everyone else. With my recent alliance with Geese Howard, your knowledge of him has made you even more dangerous. That is why I seek your deaths so greatly now. Geese is too important to us to risk his defeat to you." Purest cold entered his eyes. "Now, you must both die." Yasuhiro prepared to cast another Tama Denkou.

Mai struck him away with a Ryu En Bu. Furious, he prepared to blast her with a Douteki Boruto. It was clear to Mai that if she were even stunned by it, she and Andy would be immediately killed by Tama Denkou in the opening Yasuhiro would gain. In an instant, all her concern and love for Andy, outrage and pity over Kazuo's fate, and hatred for Yasuhiro's atrocities towards her clan focused within her to bring her a power she had not felt before. For a moment, all she knew was that Yasuhiro must be defeated. Without even thinking, she tapped into her innermost soul, into depths of ki she had not explored before.

Yasuhiro fired the Boruto...

"TAIYOHI YARINAGE!!!"

From Mai's outstretched left hand, five long lances of purest fire flew outward, straight for Yasuhiro. One exploded against and destroyed the Douteki Boruto, the other four still moving for the sorceror. Eyes wide in amazement, Yasuhiro tumbled away from the lances' path...only to see them match his own roll to again try to strike him...

Where did she learn THAT one?!

**********

Two lances struck Yasuhiro's right shoulder, the other two just missing. The projectiles' force was such that Yasuhiro was blasted back fifty feet, unconscious before he hit the ground. Kazuo, who had just finished recovering his nether energies, felt Yasuhiro's defeat, and rushed towards his location.

**********

Mai looked from Yasuhiro to her hand and back again, amazed at what she had just done. She tried to at least summon the energies again, without firing, but found that she could not. I don't understand...where did this power come from?...How could any who are not sorcerous have this kind of strength? She heard motion behind her. She whipped around, half-expecting Kazuo, but instead saw Andy just stirring. She quickly moved beside him and knelt, supporting him.

"Aaagh...can't recover...I've...I've failed..." Andy was clearly in a lot of pain. Mai tightened her grip a little.

"Easy, Andy, easy. It won't do anybody any good if you don't relax. I hope you didn't schedule my funeral already."

Andy fairly jumped in disbelief when he heard Mai's voice. He turned to face the sadly smiling visage, and found himself completely confused. "I...I don't understand...I saw you in the wreckage..."

"No, you saw Kazuo. The Shougekaha was aimed at me, but I managed to get out of range. Kazuo was in the wrong place at the wrong time...particularly for you." Neither of the two saw or heard Kazuo racing to Yasuhiro's collapsed form. "Now...we really have to talk."

"About what?" Relief, joy, and confusion fought for dominance in Andy's mind.

"Let's see if I got this straight. You finally stop deluding yourself, you recognize your love for me...and HE'S the first one you admit it to? Come on, Andy, get your priorities straight!"

"Well, who else do you suggest I..." He then noticed that Mai's smile had become a joyous grin. Andy broke into laughter, and embraced Mai. "Oh, I'm so sorry...I wish I had recognized the truth in me before..."

"Well," Mai murmured, "at least you know it now. It's not the way I'd have chosen, a forge of sorrow...oh, I love you so deeply, Andy."

"And I love you as well, my precious light." Mai was about to break into laughter at the wordplay on the clan name when Andy kissed her. She summarily returned the kiss, and tightened herself around Andy, their tears of joy and love mixing together. Andy did not resist at all, instead allowing himself to all but melt into Mai.

Yes...I've lied to myself too long...this is where I belong...

**********

"Yasuhiro! Yasuhiro!"

Yasuhiro moaned quietly, rubbing his shoulder where Mai's blasts had hit. "How did she do that...Where did they..."

"Never mind that, Isawa-sama. We've got to--"

Yasuhiro pushed Kazuo away. "--try to eliminate the freelancers. Yes, I know you had a different idea, Kazuo, but I'm not going to let those two remain a threat if I possibly can." Yasuhiro, despite being a little unsteady on his feet, carefully walked to where he saw Andy and Mai. He cast a short spell to keep them from hearing him as he moved in. "Hmmm, looks like they finally found each other. For your last living thoughts to be ones of joy...best way to go I can think of. Much better than for them to be of despair--undoubtedly why I didn't very much like having to try to kill Andy when he rushed me."

If any could have seen behind Kazuo's veil, they would have seen pure shock. "I don't believe you...you would tear away the happiness they have just found?!"

"I cannot ignore a threat." Yasuhiro was already six feet away from the kneeling lovers. They didn't notice me...too wrapped up in themselves. Let's end this now. From where he was, Yasuhiro could see Mai's profile. He prepared to cast a Tama Denkou...

...but found he could not summon the words. The incantation was in his mind, his hands in position, but somehow he could not begin uttering the first words. Faintly at first, then with growing strength, images from his own past materialized, from so many years ago, images of love he had known...and lost. Kazuo looked at Yasuhiro, ostensibly with confusion, but his hidden face was, for the first time in twelve years, in a slight smile. "Well...are you?" I really hope not. And for once, I'd say my hopes will be realized!

Yasuhiro did not even hear Kazuo. The remembrance of the same love Andy and Mai had finally realized was too strong in his mind. Kazuo noticed a tear trickle from Yasuhiro's eye, then heard him whisper a name. "Tokue." Yasuhiro then closed his eyes and bowed and shook his head. "I cannot do it." Kazuo would have shouted in glee if he weren't bound by his undeath.

"Tokue...that was your late wife's name, I believe?"

Yasuhiro nodded to Kazuo. "I cannot bring myself to ravage what Tokue and I once knew. Let us leave." Yasuhiro turned away, but was stopped by Kazuo. He watched as Kazuo took from his robes a bit of paper and a pen he carried for his liege, quickly wrote down some kanji, then set the paper near Mai's knee. Kazuo nodded, indicating that he would leave now. Yasuhiro chuckled quietly, knowing that his servant had written what had just transpired. He walked away, turning his head once to look at the lovers he envied. Kazuo never took his eyes away from them the entire time he followed his master.

And to think some say love cannot conquer all...here's the proof that it does.

December 4, 1995, 12:36 p.m.

Siobhan Conaghan watched with a slight smile on her face as the afternoon's featured warrior--Darun Mister, an Indian wrestler--helped a dazed Bushin Hokuto off the battle platform. When the Pao Pao CafÈ #2 had been designed with her assistance, she had personally designed the small arena to accomodate Southtown's unofficial pastime of street fighting. However, she made sure that the battles were never of the paritcularly nasty sort that went on in so many other tournaments. No warrior was to fight two battles in a row, for instance, and not all of the battles were to be to knockout--sometimes the first to get in a certain number of disparate blows, sometimes first stun or knockdown, et cetera. Bare knuckles/feet were also disallowed, as were all cutting weapons. Siobhan wanted a version to satisfy the Southtowners' battle fever while maintaining at least a little civility.

Terry Bogard was sitting at the same table with her, watching as the next pair of warriors--a kobujutsu practitioner using sai, and a Cuong Nhu artist, both relative neophytes to the "circuit"--entered the arena. "You, realize, Siobhan, that the regulars have already started calling you the 'Marchioness of Southtown'?"

Siobhan chuckled quietly as she brushed her auburn hair back up. "Tell them I'm not interested in the post, Terence." She allowed herself to enjoy a little of Terry's annoyance--he at least tolerated her habit of not using contracted names. "I have other things to worry about besides governing the fighting circuit, like my career. And convincing my peers to consider using some real fashion sense." Siobhan looked towards a table where several punks were sitting. The look in her hazel eyes was one of disapproval, particularly towards a young woman who had adorned herself with a spiked, midnight-blue mohawk, about a dozen face piercings, a tight, midriff-exposing hot pink shirt, and equally tight black leather pants matching her studded jacket. Siobhan herself was wearing a simple green-and-brown Jacobean blouse and a dark green ankle-length skirt. The young Irishwoman gestured towards the female punk. "That woman there--worst case scenario for modern society. How long do you suppose it would take me to get her to use a little elegance? I trust you know I can ward off any response of hers." Siobhan's eyes glittered with merriment while speaking the last sentence.

"I think you'd have a better chance of getting Mai to start listening to your Dvor·k and Beethoven on her own initiative." It was Siobhan's turn to give a sour look to Terry, who merely bowed his "King of Fighters" cap over his eyes. "You might not like it, Siobhan, but they have a message to give to society. And our disapproval is just so much white noise to them."

Siobhan kept her eyes on the punks. "Some message. 'Nihilism alone has any meaning.'? What did we ever do to them?" Terry was about to respond when one of the workers came up.

"Siobhan Conaghan? Terry Bogard?"

Siobhan nodded. "That's us. What's up? Somebody want to take one of us on personally?"

The worker chuckled. "I don't think anybody around here has worked up that much courage yet. No, it's just that there are two people here who want to meet you outside--and it doesn't look like a fight, so you're definitely safe."

Terry raised an eyebrow. "Well, who are they?"

"They didn't give their names. A blond man, about your ages, with a shortish mane, and a Japanese brunette, perhaps a little younger."

Siobhan grinned. "Sounds like Andrew and Mai. Come on, Terence, we've got friends to greet." Terry followed her out, shaking his head. The worker smiled to himself.

"Siobhan...do you realize how incongruous the full names you use sound?"

**********

Yasuhiro was resting below decks on the hydrofoil he, Sukune, Kazuo, and the rest of their retinue were taking back to Japan. When Sukune entered the ship's reading room, the sorceror was reading a massive tome of haiku in some strange language.

"Father...?" Yasuhiro looked up. "Forgive me, but I thought I had better check up on you. You didn't look particularly well when Kazuo helped you on board."

"No," Yasuhiro told his son, "I'm quite all right. It's still a little amazing how quickly you can heal when you wield ki AND are a sorceror. Although...I'm still shocked at what Andy was able to wield when he thought Mai had died at my hands."

Sukune smiled sadly. "And how would you have reacted if you thought someone had killed Mother?"

Yasuhiro nodded in acknowledgement on Sukune's point. "And people think I was vicious to Yagami Tsuruchi when I avenged your namesake...had I found someone murdered Tokue-chan..." He fell silent as he looked at a particular group of haiku.

Sukune stepped forward. "Is something wrong?"

Yasuhiro was staring at the haiku. "I thought I had read something like this...'to protect hope's foundation'...'seen before the rest'...it's not accident." Yasuhiro exhaled with a look of worry. Sukune looked at him with concern. His father's next words filled him with even more worry.

"I let a Guardian live."

**********

Siobhan still couldn't believe what Mai had said--she had almost fallen behind the rest in their walk at Delta Park when she heard what had transpired. "I want to make sure I've got this down pat. Yasuhiro, and some undead who somehow knows Shiranui tricks, ambush you, attack you mercilessly...and you survived?"

"We don't believe it either. But it happened. Maybe Yokatsu, Tsuriko, or Mizuna will write us down in legends." Mai was smiling more than usual, and that was no small affair. "Believe me, it took us quite a while to regenerate ourselves."

"You want them to write down that ki-rin, too?" Siobhan chortled. She pretended to unfurl a scroll in her hands, and declared as though she were a herald, "Hail, Andrew Bogard and Shiranui Mai, they who survived the assault of the wicked and cruel Isawa Yasuhiro and his tragic slave, Torikago Kazuo."

Mai took Andy's left hand in her right as her eyes shone after Siobhan's "proclamation". "You know, Siobhan, after a little while, you might have to revise that."

Terry and Siobhan both appeared a little troubled. "Are you expecting assassins or something?" Terry's concern was clear.

"No, no...Siobhan, do you remember your genpuku?"

"With Andrew and Katsuda? Sure, I remember. Mizuna prepared quite a feast for us. And I can't help but smile whenever I remember how Yousai told me about that mock proposal he foisted--"

"That's my point. Don't bother referring to it as 'mock' anymore."

Siobhan and Terry stopped dead in their tracks.

Terry was the first to speak. "Wait a second...you mean to say that you two really are engaged?"

Andy grinned. "Well, first we've got to let Yokatsu know...he IS the clan leader right now...Mizuna and Tsuriko will definitely want to hear about it, too..."

Terry clapped Andy on the back. "All right, bro! At last, you've started listening to your heart!" He smiled at Mai. "Think you're prepared for having me for a brother-in- law?"

Mai laughed as she, Andy, and Terry entered a group hug. "Any price is worth being married to Andy-kun." She and Andy turned to look at the smiling Siobhan as she clasped their shoulders.

"Just try to remember that the clan, in one of its less wise traditions, stipulates a one and a half year interval between betrothal and marriage." Siobhan winked at her childhood friends. "I hope you two can stand to wait that long."

"Oh, sure, it will probably feel like a decade," Andy grinned as he and Mai hugged Siobhan, "but that'll be nothing compared to the happiness of being together for all eternity."

Siobhan released her friends. "I'm so glad to see you finally came to your senses, Andrew. Yousai's spirit must have gotten really impatient by now for you to accept Mai's love for you. He was annoyed that Mai took a year to realize that she was in love with you!"

Terry and Andy looked quizzically at the two women. Mai giggled. "It was a month before the genpuku. Yousai made an offhand remark about how I should consider proposing to Andy as a reward for ascension. You can imagine how thoroughly I grilled him on it. For the next two weeks, I had done more soul-searching with his guidance than I had done on my own in two years. The remaining two weeks, I was conspiring with Yousai to help get Andy over the line too."

Andy shook his head while chuckling sadly to himself. "In that case, his death had an additional bad effect--he probably could have gotten me with Mai so much sooner!" Siobhan winced in pain from the memory of Yousai's demise. For a second, some sadness crept into Mai's smile. However, both recovered quickly, returning to their joyous smiling.

Siobhan put her hand to her chin as though contemplating. "In any event, we've got to find Joe--I don't think he's left for Thailand yet. Go over to my house--I know you two can get in without need of a key, just don't wreck anything--while I get some fresh fish and whatever exotic vegetables might be available for the engagement dinner. And trust me, the wine I'll serve won't be any younger than twenty-five years."

Terry smiled at Siobhan's enthusiasm. "Uh, Siobhan, that means the wine will be older than you are."

"And the newly betrothed. It seems appropriate to me."

Mai laughed into her hand. "You've been waiting for this all the time like I have I see. Oh, I'd say everything you've got planned will be perfect for the occasion."

"Very well, then. Go off and get Joe, while I get to the fish market. I'll see you in an hour." Siobhan smiled as she watched the three walk off, Mai and Andy taking a brief kiss. The Irishwoman closed her eyes as a tear trickled down her cheek. It's happened, Yousai, it's happened! I so wish--and I'll bet Andrew and Mai do, too--that you were still alive to see them betrothed. Yasuhiro, and whoever it was who killed you, may think they can crush us, but they'll never do it.

As long as we have love among us, our resolve cannot be destroyed, and hence, we shall always survive.

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